httpv:\/\/www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-tJZZLys8I
Former FC Dallas forward Bobby Rhine died Monday of an apparent heart attack.
Rhine, aged 35, made 212 league appearances for FC Dallas, where he later became a club ambassador for the MLS side after retiring from his playing career. Rhine was also a commentator for the team’s television broadcasts.
As you can see from the above video tribute, Rhine’s skills and determination will never be forgotten. RIP Bobby Rhine.
&nbsp;

Rest In Peace Bobby Rhine: 1976-2011 - World Soccer Talk

Rest In Peace Bobby Rhine: 1976-2011

<div style="width: 510px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a title="FIFA logotipo by FIFA Habbo, on Flickr" href="http:\/\/www.flickr.com/photos/fifahabbo/5149621822/"><div><figure class="image"></figure></div></a>Photo by FIFA Habbo</div>

It was an incredibly busy week in American soccer. &nbsp;Between the US national team, MLS midweek matches, and all sorts of FIFA controversies, there was a wealth of story lines for fans of the beautiful game. &nbsp;Below are some of the ones we were following this week that we did not have time to post on the site:
<ul>
<li>In midweek MLS action, New York and Colorado played to a 2-2 draw, Dallas got three points on the road with a 1-0 win over Seattle, and the Galaxy grabbed an early goal to edge Houston 1-0.</li>
<li>The Canadian Championship was <a href="http:\/\/www.theprovince.com/sports/Whitecaps+Toronto+Canadian+championship+tussle+rescheduled+July/4846136/story.html" target="_blank">rescheduled</a> for July 2 after it was abandoned in the 63rd minute due to horrendous rainstorms.</li>
<li>The FIFA mess is an important thing to know for American soccer fans. &nbsp;FIFA presidential candidate Mohamed bin Hamman and CONCACAF rep Jack Warner were summoned before an investigatory committee this week on charges of bribery during a Caribbean campaign visit. &nbsp;The charges were made by the U.S. rep Chuck Blazer. &nbsp;Now Sepp Blatter, the current FIFA president and candidate for reelection, has had <a href="http:\/\/sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/soccer/05/27/fifa.blatter.ap/index.html?eref=si_soccer&amp;utm_source=feedburner&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fsi_soccer+%28SI.com+-+Soccer%29" target="_blank">an ethics charge</a> filed against him by bin Hamman for not reporting possible corruption violations. &nbsp;The election between these two, in polite terms, undesirable candidates was supposed to be Wednesday but now with ethics charges hanging over both of them, that timeline is in doubt. &nbsp;What does this mean for U.S. soccer? &nbsp;Stay tuned.</li>
<li>MLS commissioner Don Garber did an interview with the <a href="http:\/\/www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Blogs/SFF2011.aspx" target="_blank">Sports Business Journal</a> where he discussed Sporting Kansas City’s stadium, the Cosmos’ price tag, and MLS ratings, among other things.</li>
<li>Real Salt Lake’s depth is hurting with injuries and Gold Cup call-ups, but <a href="http:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/2011/05/26/alexandre-eager-ease-rsls-scoring-woes-top" target="_blank">Randy Davis</a> sees an opportunity for one player.</li>
<li>Congratulations to American Clint Dempsey, whose Fulham team won England’s “Fair Play” spot in the Europa League. &nbsp;Like Maurice Edu this season, Dempsey will again have a chance to show off his skills on the European stage.</li>
<li>Finally, the UEFA Champions League Final is Saturday and will be shown on Fox. &nbsp;Last year’s final between Inter Milan and Bayern Munich had a 1.1 share; with two more “popular” teams playing keep an eye out for the rating. &nbsp;It will be a good indicator or support for the sport of soccer in the U.S.</li>
</ul>
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Knock Knock It's FIFA: Week in Review May 23-27, 2011 - World Soccer Talk

Knock Knock It's FIFA: Week in Review May 23-27, 2011

After a midweek tease, the MLS slate is full this weekend with all but two teams playing on Saturday. &nbsp;For those looking forward to a little Friday night soccer, there will be none so you’ll just have to wait for Saturday night’s glamorous TV lineup, which includes the renewal of the U.S. leg of the Cascadia Cup rivalry.
Now for the other stories catching our attention this week:
<ul>
<li>Marcos Mondaini <a href="http:\/\/www.sltrib.com/sltrib/sports/51802477-77/field-tackle-mondaini-morales.html.csp" target="_blank">received a four game suspension</a> and a $1,500 fine for his aggressive tackle on Real Salt Lake’s Javier Morales. &nbsp;The suspension is much less than Brian Mullan’s, but the league deemed the tackle as one to prevent a scoring chance, while Mullan’s “showed utter disregard for his opponent’s safety.”</li>
<li><a href="http:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com/sports/struggling-with-crumbling-rfk-stadium-dc-united-is-desperate-for-a-new-home/2011/05/11/AFiiNb1G_story.html" target="_blank">The Washington Post</a> ran a front page story this morning on DC United’s situation at&nbsp;Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium. &nbsp;There were no great surprises to MLS or DCU fans, but the prominent placement may help the team in its efforts to build a new home.</li>
<li>Speaking of DCU, <a href="http:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/soccer-insider/post/us-coach-bob-bradley-considering-dc-united-forward-charlie-davies-for-spain-friendly-and-concacaf-gold-cup/2011/05/12/AFnHuF1G_blog.html#pagebreak" target="_blank">Steven Goff of the </a><a href="http:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/soccer-insider/post/us-coach-bob-bradley-considering-dc-united-forward-charlie-davies-for-spain-friendly-and-concacaf-gold-cup/2011/05/12/AFnHuF1G_blog.html#pagebreak" target="_blank">Post</a> broke the news that Bob Bradley will be in attendance at the DC-Colorado match tomorrow night. &nbsp;While there are other American nationals like Dax McCarty and Anthony Wallace there, this is likely Charlie Davies casting call for a Gold Cup spot.</li>
<li>Speaking of Bob Bradley, over 50,000 tickets have already been sold for the <a href="http:\/\/www.ussoccer.com/Social/MNT-Blog.aspx?plckController=Blog&amp;plckScript=blogScript&amp;plckElementId=blogDest&amp;plckBlogPage=BlogViewPost&amp;plckPostId=Blog%3a1a697a53-a181-4302-aa61-f454d97c88fdPost%3a4e350f30-c50d-47c3-8342-8c29fc4f29b1" target="_blank">USA v. Spain</a> friendly at Gillette Stadium on June 4, and organizers expect a record crowd for the region.</li>
<li>Our parent site announced the news a few days ago that possible FA Cup champion Manchester &nbsp;City will <a href="http:\/\/epltalk.com/manchester-city-expand-us-2011-summer-tour-to-face-la-galaxy-31539" target="_blank">extend their U.S. tour</a> to play the LA Galaxy July 24 at Home Depot Center.</li>
<li>The Colorado Rapids injury list grows, as the <a href="http:\/\/www.coloradorapids.com/news/2011/05/cummings-out-2-4-weeks-ankle-sprain" target="_blank">team announced</a> that Omar Cummings will be out 2-4 weeks with “an ankle”. &nbsp;Caleb Folan is also out this weekend, but Conor Casey is expected to return.</li>
<li><a href="http:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/2011/05/12/mls-confirms-contact-over-possible-minnesota-expansion" target="_blank">MLS in Minnesota</a>? &nbsp;Don Garber’s considering it (sorry Miami/Cosmos/Las Vegas/San Antonio fans).</li>
<li>If you like fan bases tweaking each other and stirring up regional rivalries like I do, <a href="http:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/2011/05/11/new-billboard-stokes-fire-houston-dallas-rivalry" target="_blank">this billboard</a> in Dallas will make you laugh.</li>
</ul>
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Bob, Robert, and Omar: The Week in Review May 9-13, 2011 - World Soccer Talk

Bob, Robert, and Omar: The Week in Review May 9-13, 2011

<div style="width: 250px" class="wp-caption alignright"><a title="Columbus Crew Fans by GregHickman, on Flickr" href="http:\/\/www.flickr.com/photos/greghickman/4942367281/"><div><figure class="image"></figure></div></a>Photo by Greg Hickman</div>
On March 19, the Columbus Crew dejectedly walked out of RFK Stadium in Washington on the wrong side of a 3-1 game. &nbsp;The team allowed two Charlie Davies goals (one a penalty kick) and looked outclassed, out played, and in for a long season. &nbsp;The result came after they were shown the door from the CONCACAF Champions League by losing 4-1 to Real Salt Lake. &nbsp;After an offseason where the team jettisoned many of its bigger named players to make room in the salary cap and committed to a rebuilding effort, the team looked destined for a long, long season.
A month later, Columbus sits in a playoff spot. &nbsp;The team has not allowed a goal since the second Davies’ goal and this weekend held the highest-scoring team in MLS to no goals. &nbsp;While not an offensive juggernaut, the team is scoring enough to get results. &nbsp;So are the Crew back to their normal spot near the top of the Eastern Conference for good, or is this an illusion that will wilt away in the summer months? &nbsp;The answer is, of course, not that simple.

At first glance the schedule up to this point for the Crew has been daunting, but upon closer examination looks to have been quite easy. &nbsp;After the trip to DC, the Crew hosted the Red Bulls and Dallas, two 2010 playoff teams and teams expected to compete for an MLS Cup this season. &nbsp;But the Crew played New York during an international break and essentially forced a draw with a “B” team, while Dallas has struggled mightily this season and is still sorting out personnel issues. &nbsp;The trip to Chivas led to a scoreless draw, not surprising how bad Chivas is, and while Sporting Kansas City is promising, they have a horrendous defense to go with a great offense. &nbsp;So the schedule has not been a good guidepost to the season so far, except to say the Crew don’t lose to bad teams.
One constant this season has been the defense, which should not be a surprise considering that was one area the team didn’t unload their star power. &nbsp;MLS star Chad Marshall was retained and paired with a number of new players who have excelled to this point. &nbsp;Julius James was picked up off the smoldering heap that was DC United’s 2010 backline and has seen a career resurgence. &nbsp;Rookie Rich Balchan has started all five games and played extremely well. &nbsp;In net, Will Hesmer has played very well after some uncertainty this offseason as to who would be the starter due to injuries. &nbsp;The team has not allowed a goal in four matches, a team record and an incredibly accomplishment. &nbsp;In their last match, Dilly Duka had as many shots on goal (2) as all of the Kansas City players combined.
Another reason for their positive play has been Robbie Rogers, their one consistent offensive threat. &nbsp;The rift that existed between Rogers and head coach Robert Warzycha has seemingly been resolved; the Crew team on the pitch in DC looked lost and without a real offensive threat until Rogers stepped on the pitch. &nbsp;So far this year Rogers has scored as many goals (2) as he has the past two seasons.
The upcoming schedule also should be a reason for optimism among Columbus fans. &nbsp;This weekend, they visit a Toronto team in flux then host the expansion Whitecaps and struggling Sounders (although the Sounders may be finally turning their season around). &nbsp;Things get tough with back-to-back trips to San Jose and Portland, but they end May by hosting Chivas. &nbsp;Conceivably, the Crew should pick up at least 12 points through the end of May.
But the reason why Rogers has been so good for the Columbus offense is that the play of the Crew forwards and midfield have been terrible. &nbsp;Consider that Portland scored as many goals in its home opener as the Crew have scored this season, and that two of those goals came from penalties. &nbsp;Eddie Gaven has been ok but not really good up front, and while it is still early Andres Mendoza has been a disappointment. &nbsp;Jeff Cunningham looks his age and fails to convert quality chances.
So can the Crew continue this run and qualify for the playoffs? &nbsp;In an Eastern Conference with few clear favorites, it is not out of the realm of possibility for them to grab a top three spot if their defense continues to play well. &nbsp;But for this team to challenge New York for first or even challenge a resurgent Philadelphia or DC, they need to find more consistent offense. &nbsp;Without a goal scorer either emerging or being acquired this summer, Columbus could be on the outside looking in this September.

How Legit are the Columbus Crew? - World Soccer Talk

How Legit are the Columbus Crew?

<div style="width: 510px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a title="Flying V by Mafue, on Flickr" href="http:\/\/www.flickr.com/photos/mafue/5541928196/"><div><figure class="image"></figure></div></a>Photo by Mafue</div>
MLS could not have asked for a better opening weekend of soccer than this weekend. &nbsp;After a somewhat pedestrian first match between the Galaxy and Sounders, there were a ton of story lines to follow in this weekend’s games. &nbsp;While it may be a lot to ask for every weekend to be this exciting (although we can hope) there is no doubt that this season is looking like a great one.
Just like Don Garber planned it.
Vancouver 4, Toronto 2
What a tale of two cities. &nbsp;Expansion Vancouver certainly kicked off their first first-division season in style. &nbsp;The fans were decked out in white as part of the “White Out”, celebrity fan Steve Nash sat among the masses and led the cheering, and the action on the pitch could not have been better for the home team. &nbsp;Eric Hassli started the scoring in the 15th minute and, after Dwayne De Rosario equalized, it was all Whitecaps. &nbsp;The Toronto defense was exposed and the Reds looked pretty bad; it may be worst case scenario for them at least in the near future.
For more weekend reviews…..
Colorado 3, Portland 1
I was intrigued by this match because I wanted to see how Colorado looked in their first match that counted after their MLS Cup win, as well as see how our other newest club looked. &nbsp;Kenny Cooper contributed a goal (and points for my MLS fantasy team) but otherwise it was all Colorado. &nbsp;The Cummings/Casey duo again looked dangerous in front of the goal, a must for the Rapids, and it was last year’s key pickup Jeff Larentowicz who got the scoring started for Colorado. &nbsp;A tough first match for Portland, but their next three matches are very winnable: at Toronto, at New England, versus Chicago.
Dallas 1, Chicago 1
If you stepped away to the fridge for a beer, you missed the scoring in this one. &nbsp;Milton Rodriguez for Dallas and Diego Chaves for Chicago scored within two minutes of each other, and defense carried the game. &nbsp;Hats off to Dallas for selling out their stadium, after receiving so much criticism for their poor draws last year. &nbsp;Let’s hope that they are building a tradition of being a tough ticket to get. &nbsp;Kevin Hartman picked up where he left off last season, facing 12 shots (5 on goal) and conceding one goal.
D.C. United 3, Columbus 1
I did a story for the site on this match, but I want to make a few follow-up points. &nbsp;Can any Crew fan fill me in on Robbie Rogers absence for most of the match? &nbsp;He had a&nbsp;discernible&nbsp;and positive impact when he was subbed on in the 65th minute, and he may have made a difference playing the full 90. &nbsp;Charlie Davies is getting the attention from this one, but the DC backline (which was horrendous last year) played very well in this match. &nbsp;But with Perry Kitchen called up to the U-20s and Jed Zayner picking up an injury, their depth may be tested (<a href="http:\/\/www.blackandredunited.com/2011/3/21/2063523/dc-united-roster-depth-defense" target="_blank">find more&nbsp;information&nbsp;here</a>).
New York 1, Seattle 0
Daniel did <a href="http:\/\/www.majorleaguesoccertalk.com/new-york-1-0-seattle-sounders-agudelo-scores/12049" target="_blank">an excellent job covering this match for MLS Talk, so I will refer you to his analysis</a>. &nbsp;But allow me to continue heaping praise on Juan Agudelo. &nbsp;The guy will be something special if he is allowed to grow properly both in a playing sense and media sense. &nbsp;I also hope the European clubs dismiss him as an overrated American so he plays in MLS for a while longer. &nbsp;I’d like to hear from Sounders’ fans – what can your team do to generate some goals? &nbsp;Goalless now in two matches.
Real Salt Lake 1, San Jose 0
RSL is a very efficient team. &nbsp;They manage only two shots on goal and that’s all they need for Kyle Beckerman to find the winner. &nbsp;It was a good win in bad weather and there was nothing in this match that doesn’t make you think RSL may be the best team already. &nbsp;For San Jose, they are in a tough spot like we expected. &nbsp;They need to win home games against the favorites in the West to be considered playoff contenders; this match will do nothing to make anyone think that they are one of the better Western Conference teams.
Sporting KC 3, Chivas 2
Newcomers shined for Kansas City in this quality away win. &nbsp;James Madison University rookie C.J. Sapong scored the first goal in the second minute and newcomer Omar Bravo added two more in this match. &nbsp;Both teams should be very concerned about their defense, however. &nbsp;Sporting KC allowed two goals on only four shots on goal, while Chivas obviously had some defensive lapses. &nbsp;Does this match assert the Eastern Conference’s dominance over the Western Conference? &nbsp;Probably not, but it is a good win for a potential playoff contender.
Philadelphia 1, Houston 0
Another match where if you turned your head you missed the goal, as Danny Califf scores off a long throw-in. &nbsp;Kudos to Houston for another good crowd of almost 20,000 to begin the season, but a disappointing offensive output. &nbsp;They needed some points from this match, as their next two (at Sounders, at Red Bulls) could see them trailing early in the season, never a good place to be. &nbsp;The Union also needed this one, as five of their next six matches are against 2010 playoff teams and the sixth is against Vancouver.
Los Angeles 1, New England 1
Paging Mr. Angel, please pick up the white courtesy phone. &nbsp;The Galaxy need him healthy or need other players in their midfield to step up if they want to create more scoring chances. &nbsp;Again it was Juninho who salvaged the point for LA, and the good news for their supporters is that they have taken the early lead in the Supporters Shield race. &nbsp;It is good that New England salvaged a point from this match, but they showed some concerning tendencies in the match. &nbsp;Joseph’s third minute goal was their only shot on goal. &nbsp;Their home opener is DC United, so that will be a good test of where they stand.

MLS First Kick '11 is as Good as Advertised - World Soccer Talk

MLS First Kick '11 is as Good as Advertised

<figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-154693" src="https://ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https://images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/full/WST_20110319_CMS_12026_mls-supporters-shield-600x399_6fdfef29.webp&amp;width=600&amp;height=399" alt="mls-supporters-shield" width="600" height="399" srcset="https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2015/10/mls-supporters-shield-600x399.jpg 600w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2015/10/mls-supporters-shield-150x100.jpg 150w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2015/10/mls-supporters-shield-300x200.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px"></figure>
Good evening everyone, and happy MLS First Matchday Eve.&nbsp;As promised, our week in review feature is shifting to Friday to cover the week’s news and items that flew under the radar.&nbsp;As expected, most of these involve preparations for tomorrow’s matches.&nbsp;Make sure you take our poll at the end of the post as well to let us know what match you are most excited to see this weekend.
The tragedy in Japan has encouraged some teams to raise much needed disaster relief funds during their first home matches. &nbsp;<a href="http://www.dcunited.com/press-release/2011/03/dc-united-to-assist-japan-relief-effort" target="_blank" rel="noopener">D.C. United</a> and <a href="http://www.whitecapsfc.com/news/2011/03/whitecaps-fc-encourage-fans-take-part-whitecaps-whiteout-saturday" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Vancouver</a> will both have Red Cross volunteers on hand before their matches to collect donations for Japan. &nbsp;If your team is doing something in conjunction with the Red Cross or other&nbsp;relief&nbsp;organization, let us know in the comments section.
We shared that Portland is selling season tickets at a face pace, and it looks like attendance is rising throughout the league. &nbsp;<a href="http://www.bigdsoccer.com/2011/3/16/2054745/fc-dallas-home-opener-ticket-sales-brisk-and-more" target="_blank" rel="noopener">FC Dallas bloggers</a> are reporting that the club is telling local media that they could sell out their home opener. &nbsp;If this is true, it’s a victory for a team that could compete for a Supporters Shield but has always been a low draw.
On the international scene, Bob Bradley called up 24 players for the next two friendlies. &nbsp;These players will be in camp beginning next week to prepare for Argentina a week from tomorrow. &nbsp;Many of the big names will be there (Donovan, Howard, Dempsey) but Bob Bradley also called up a few players unknown to most American soccer fans – GK David Yelldell (MSV Duisburg), D Timothy Chandler (FC Nurnburg), and D Zak Whitbread (Norwich City).
The Americans’ opponent, Argentina, reported today that Lionel Messi is healthy and <a href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/soccer/03/18/argentina.lionel.messi.ap/index.html?eref=si_soccer&amp;utm_source=feedburner&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fsi_soccer+%28SI.com+-+Soccer%29" target="_blank" rel="noopener">will be available </a>to play on the 26th. &nbsp;So good luck with that.
The Andy Najar story could be taking a decisive turn as rumors heat up that he will pledge to play for his<a href="http://insider.espn.go.com/sports/soccer/blog?name=us_national_soccer&amp;id=6215604&amp;campaign=rss&amp;source=ESPNHeadlines&amp;action=login&amp;appRedirect=http%3a%2f%2finsider.espn.go.com%2fsports%2fsoccer%2fblog%3fname%3dus_national_soccer%26id%3d6215604%26campaign%3drss%26source%3dESPNHeadlines" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> country of birth</a> and not his adopted country at the international level. &nbsp;But, until he makes an announcement, we won’t know anything for sure. &nbsp;A lot of pressure for such a young guy.
<a href="http://www.soccerbyives.net/soccer_by_ives/2011/03/report-usa-spain-friendly-at-gillette-in-the-works.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Spain v. USA</a> this June at Gillette Stadium. &nbsp;Excellent.
Sporting Kansas City is robbing the cradle and has hired 21 year-old Callum Williams as their play-by-play announcer for 2011. &nbsp;What may be even odder for fans is that Williams is British. &nbsp;But his sample is pretty good.
The much anticipated <a href="http://www.soccerbyives.net/soccer_by_ives/2011/03/mls-reserve-league-kicks-off-sunday.html">MLS Reserve League</a> kicks off this Sunday. &nbsp;Quite a win for the league.

Week in Review, March 14-18 2011

Week in Review, March 14-18 2011 - World Soccer Talk

Latest news from FC Dallas. Find out about all the news related to FC Dallas on worldsoccertalk.com

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FC Dallas

Rest In Peace Bobby Rhine: 1976-2011

Leagues: MLS

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Bob, Robert, and Omar: The Week in Review May 9-13, 2011

Columbus Crew

How Legit are the Columbus Crew?

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News

Week in Review, March 14-18 2011